The Ultimate Komodo Dragon's Bite Quiz

Learn about Komodo dragons, and your next nightmare may feature one. Don't worry, there are only 4,000 Komodos in the wild, so your chances of encountering one are slim. Take this quiz to see how much you know about the bite of a Komodo dragon.

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Question 1 of 20

Where is Rinca Island?

Indonesia

Rinca Island, in Indonesia, is one of the last places Komodo dragons still roam.

Japan

Malaysia

Question 2 of 20

When did people discover than Komodo dragons were real and not a myth?

1850

1911

During World War I a pilot crashed on Rinca Island and lived to tell about Komodo dragons.

2005

Question 3 of 20

What reputation do Komodo dragons have?

sweet

docile

fierce

Komodo dragons are known to be fierce.

Question 4 of 20

What may a Komodo dragon devour?

rubber tire

human

A Komodo dragon may devour, unprovoked, a human.

palm tree

Question 5 of 20

What is 10 percent of a wild Komodo's diet?

another Komodo

A Komodo may feast on another Komodo, accounting for 10 percent of its diet.

coconuts

grasses

Question 6 of 20

What animal kingdom species do Komodos belong to?

lizard

Komodo are the largest of the lizard species.

fox

manatee

Question 7 of 20

How much was the largest recorded Komodo weight?

125 pounds

250 pounds

366 pounds

The largest Komodo weight was 366 pounds (166 kilos) and the length was 10 feet (3 meters).

Question 8 of 20

What do some scientists think about the 366 pound Komodo?

had a big meal before weigh-in

Some say the dragon must have had a big meal before the weigh-in. It takes only about 20 minutes for a Komodo to eat 80 percent of its body weight.

scale mishap

reliable data

Question 9 of 20

How does a Komodo swallow huge pieces of food?

flexible jaw

flexible skull

both answers

The Komodo has a flexible jaw and skull, like a snake.

Question 10 of 20

What is the scientific name for a virgin birth?

parthenogenesis

Parthenogenesis is the name for a virgin birth. A Komodo dragon in a U.K. zoo laid eggs without any male contact.

disambiguation

neither answer

Question 11 of 20

How many Komodos exist in the wild?

2000

3000

4000

There are about 4,000 Komodo dragons roaming in the wild.

Question 12 of 20

How many teeth does the Komodo have?

32

45

60

A Komodo has close to 60 serrated teeth.

Question 13 of 20

If an animal attacked by a Komodo does not die immediately, what does the Komodo do?

follow the attacked animal

The Komodo will follow the smell of its next meal for miles, and dine after its prey dies.

attack a different animal

neither answer

Question 14 of 20

Why do animals that have been attacked by the Komodo usually die within days, if not immediately?

venom

bacteria

both answers

Venom in a Komodo's bite may be the reason for the resulting death. Some scientists also believe that a Komodo's bacteria is the cause for the eventual death of its prey.

Question 15 of 20

What does a Komodo do with the hair of its prey?

eat it

They eat it, and the bones, hooves and horns.

use for bedding

nothing

Question 16 of 20

What happens after a Komodo dines on the hair, bones, hooves and horns of its prey?

cough it up

Komodos do not digest these items, so they cough them up in the form of a gastric pellet.

regurgitate it

digest it

Question 17 of 20

How would you describe a Komodo's gastric pellet?

horrible-smelling

A gastric pellet is a horrible-smelling ball.

sweet-smelling

sour-smelling

Question 18 of 20

Why is there medical interest in the Komodo dragon?

immune to its poison

new class of antibiotics

both answers

The Komodo is immune to its own poison. Study of its blood could lead to a discovery of a new class of antibiotics.

Question 19 of 20

If an animal is bitten by a cobra, how long may it live?

minutes

A cobra's bite will be fatal within minutes.

hours

days

Question 20 of 20

Which animal has the most potent bite?

Komodo

cobra

both answers

The Komodo's victim will die within days and the cobra's victim in minutes, but the bite of each animal is lethal.